QUESTION: I was about to buy zinc on my lunch break today, on account of my enlarged heart, and Steve Shapiro's Food Lists say that zinc is an Avoid. A gentleman responded to my post a while ago, and said he met The Good Doctor at a book signing and said Dr. D suggested he take zinc supplements for his cardiomyopathy. I don't understand. What supplements should I take now, if zinc is no good for O's with this condition?

ANSWER: You should use zinc. Your clinical situation supplants the long- range recommendations for your blood type, which is to avoid long-term zinc administration as its cummulative effects are suppressive on the immune system rather than augmentative. Your condition creates a long-term drain on your zinc resources so the 'epidemiologic' effects are moot.

By the way, cardiomyopathy (an inflammation of the heart tissue) is also benefited by proper doses of the amino acid l-taurine, which is the one amino acid found to be consistently low in the diets of vegans, but quite abundant in the type O diet. Taurine is the amino acid found in highest concentration in the "free amino acid pool' in heart tissue; apparently it is used extensively in rebuilding heart muscle. You may even want to supplement with 500mg additional to the diet.

This entry was posted on June 21st, 2004 at 07:51:00 am and is filed under Questions 2000-2006.